Combination shirt and vest



March 15, 1938. E S N 12,111,361

00112111111101: SHIRT AND VEST Filed Oct. 3, 1936 LARRY A? 571/962 sow. 1N VENTOR.

W, BY y ATTORNEY;

Patented Mar. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT FFiCE Application October 3,

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in combination garments, and more particularly to a combined dress shirt and vest for mens wear.

One of the main features of the invention resides in a combined formal dress shirt and vest,

which when assembled constitutes a single garment but has the outward appearance of separate garments when in position upon a wearer.

I am aware that combination dress shirts and vests have heretofore been devised, but to my knowledge, the same have been permanently connected to form an integral construction. In such types of combination garments the entire garment must be laundered after each wearing occasion, although the vest section may be perfectly clean. Such types of combination garments are expensive to launder, and it is the purpose of this invention to reduce the cost of laundering of such garments by constructing a combined shirt and Vest in such novel manner that the vest although connected with the shirt when in use, may be separated from the shirt and separately laundered, only, when the same becomes soiled.

Another feature of the invention is to provide a combined evening dress shirt and vest wherein vests of different colors such as black and white may be interchangeably associated with the shirt to meet the style and formal attire of the occas1on.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of a combined evening dress shirt and vest wherein the vest section tends to prevent outward bulging of the stiff bosom of the evening dress shirt when the combined garment is in position upon a wearer.

A still further feature of the invention is to provide a combination dress shirt and vest which is inexpensive of manufacture, neat of appearance, and by which the vest may be detachably connected with the shirt without fear of soiling either one.

Other features of the invention will appear as the following specification is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

45 Figure 1 is a front perspective view showing the combination shirt and vest in position upon a wearer.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the combination garment showing one of the vest sections partially detached from the shirt.

Figure 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view on the line 3--3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the shirt with the vest sections removed therefrom.

1936, Serial No. 103,862

Figure 5 is an inside elevational view of one of the vest sections.

Figure 6 is a rear elevational View illustrating the manner in which the vest sections are held together at the back of a wearer.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters, the numeral 1!] designates a formal dress shirt having the usual closed stiff bosom front 1 i and the shirt being buttonable at the rear. Stitched as at 12 and arranged in downwardly converging relation on the outside of the bosom front 1!, is a pair of stringer members 13-13 forming part of a slide fastening device, the interlocking elements of which are designated at M and spaced inwardly. The stringer members 13 are arranged in substantial V-shape and extend from a point adjacent the shoulder portions of the shirt to a point short of the bottom of the bosom front ii.

Detachably connected to the bosom front H of the shirt in a manner to be specifically described, is a pair of vest sections 15-45, each of which is provided with an outwardly folded lapel 18. The lapel it extends from the top peak portion ll of the vest section to a point adjacent the bottom edge thereof. The vest section is substantially of triangular configuration in plan as shown in Figure 5 and the two sections combined are intended to cover part of the front of the shirt and expose a portion of the stiff bosom II in a manner similar to an ordinary low cut evening vest. The top of the lapel i6 is held down by buttoning the same to the body portion of the vest as at 18. The lower ends of the vest sections l5i5 are brought into overlapping arrangement, one of the vest sections being provided with buttons 18 which pass through button holes 19 in the other vest section. The folded edge of each lapel It is designated at 20 and is substantially straight and stitched to the inner side of each said section and disposed substantially parallel to the folded edge 2%], is a slide fastener stringer member 2 i. The stringer member 21 is fastened to the inner side of the vest section by stitching 22, the interlocking elements 23 of the stringer member facing in a direction away from the folded edge 2B in order that the stringer member 2i of the vest section may be brought into coacting relation with the interlocking elements 14 of the stringer members 13. An actuating slide member 24 is provided for bringing the interlocking elements of the coacting stringer members 2! and 13 when the vest sections are applied in position at the front of the shirt [0. Each pair of coacting stringer members l3 and 2|, and a slide member 24 constitutes a slide fastener of the conventional type.

From the description thus far, it will be seen that the two vest sections l5-l5 may be secured in position upon the front of the shirt In by running the slide member 24 of each fastening device upwardly of the coacting stringer members. Also.

by sliding the slide member 24 downwardly to 1 the limit of its movement, each vest section may be separated from the shirt.

Secured to the outer side edge of each said section l5 adjacent the bottom thereof is a tab 25 which carries an elongated eye 26. Engageable with the eyes 26 of the two vest sections [5-45 when the garment is in position upon a wearer, is an elastic back strap 21 which has an adjusting buckle 28 for adjusting the length of the strap, the ends of said strap being provided with hook members 29 which are respectively engaged with the eyes 26 of the two vest sections. It will thus be seen that when the back strap 21 is connected to the eyes 26, the vest sections will be held snug against the body of a wearer.

In Figure 1 of the drawing, I have illustrated the appearance of the garment when in use, and it will be noted that when the wearer dons his coat, the combination garment will impart the appearance of an ordinary two piece shirt and vest. The coasting stringer members of the slide fasteners are concealed from view beneath the vest sections and in view of the attachment of the vest sections to the shirt front, any tendency of the stiff bosom front H to bulge outwardly isretarded.

After a wearing of the combination garment, the vest sections l5l 5 may be removed from the shirt and the shirt laundered, for it will be appreciated that the shirt will become soiled more easily than the vest. When necessary the vest sections may be laundered separately of the shirt. Furthermore, the vest sections I 5-45 may be manufactured in black and white to enable the attachment of either colored vest section to the shirt, depending upon the style and occasion.

While I have shown and described what I consider to be the most practical embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understood that such changes and alterations as come within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to if desired.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:-

1. A combination garment for formal attire comprising a dress shirt having a closed bosom front, a pair of slide fastener stringers secured on the bosom front in downwardly converging relation, the lower ends of said slide fastener stringers terminating adjacent each other, a pair of vest sections, each of said vest sections having an outwardly folded lapel at its inner edge, the fold edge of said folded lapel being substantially parallel to said slide fastener stringers, companion slide fastener stringers provided on the inner sides of said vest sections adjacent and substantially parallel to the fold edges of the lapels and having interlocking engagement with the slide fastener stringers on the bosom of said shirt, slide members engaging the respective pairs of adjacent interlocking stringers for causing interlocking or separation of the same, and a back strap having its ends connected to the outer sides of said vest sections.

2. A combination garment for formal attire comprising a dress shirt having a closed bosom front, a pair of slide fastener stringers arranged in substantially V formation on the bosom front, the lower ends terminating adjacent each other a pair of vest sections, each of said vest sections having an outwardly folded lapel at its inner edge, the fold edges of said lapels being substantially parallel to said slide fastener stringers companion slide fastener stringers provided on the inner sides of said vest sections adjacent and substantially parallel to the folded edges of the lapels and having interlocking engagement with the slide fastener stringers on the bosom of said shirt, a slide member engaging the interlocking stringers for effecting interlocking or separation of the same, and a back strap having its ends releasably connected to the outer sides of said vest sections.

LARRY R. ENGELSON. 

